The B and B
by DJ Kitsune
Summary: What happens when two of the most famous ladies in Neopia hatch a brilliant idea? Well, Hannah Hawthorne and Princess Fernypoo do just that in the episodic series 'The B and B'.
1. The Opening

The B and B

"The Opening"

_Written By Joshua King a.k.a DJ Kitsune_

In Neopia, there is a place where the beds are cozy, breakfast is fresh, and everyone knows your name, but not necessarily your usual order. It is 'Ferny and Hannah's Bed and Breakfast'…

"No, No, NO! 'Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast'! Your version has no pizzazz!" Hannah said with a wild flailing of her arms.

"And I chose to make you co-owner because…" Ferny started to say as Hannah cut her off.

"You chose me because you don't know a thing about operating a restaurant, much less a bed and breakfast."

"Just remember who's putting up the dough to get this off the ground, ok?" Ferny warned as the front door opened with a flourish.

With a series of huffed breaths and other sounds of exertion, Armin and Kanrik set down a large crate of food. In all, they had brought in two office desks, a refrigerator, a deep-freezer, four boxes of dishes/utensils, and twenty four boxes and crates of food and drinks. They were dead-tired to say the least.

"That is everything, ladies. Balthazar and Captain Scarblade have a few more runs to make and then they'll be back for the grand opening tonight." Kanrik said with an exhausted sigh as he and Armin sat down on two of the bar stools in the foyer.

Hannah and Ferny nodded as they placed several sheets of documents onto a large clipboard. Now they took over with their responsibilities: taking inventory of every last thing that they now had in their bed and breakfast…and putting it all where it was to go. It was now 11 a.m. They had about five hours before Twisted Roses and Sticks 'N' Stones would arrive to set up for the concert that night.

Armin and Kanrik didn't rest for long. Within about ten minutes they were back at it, this time with buckets of bleach water and scrubby pads. Every inch of the massive castle turned restaurant had to be scrubbed clean. The attic upstairs was the only exception because Princess Ferny and Jeran were the only souls in Neopia who could enter that room.

"I'm telling you, Armin. I love the fact that Fernypoo's castle will be able to house so many customers, but the amount of cleaning required to keep it up is going to wear my fingers and knees to the bone!" Kanrik said shaking his head right along with Armin.

Even though they were working at a frantic pace, they knew that Hannah and Ferny would be working just as hard at the mental aspect of the business they were opening that night. Handling the accounting books and the advertising work required to do so was a daunting task. Keeping track of customers, net income, the foods that people would like the most, the schedule of deliveries…Armin and Kanrik couldn't believe that the two ladies were handling the stress so well.

Four p.m. came really quickly for Hannah and Fernypoo. They had finished the inventory and bookkeeping only twenty minutes before and were just now completing the stocking of their massive supplies and equipment. A sudden ring at the door told them that any break in the flurry of their work would have to wait.

Like a stampede of animals, the three ladies of Twisted Roses entered the bed and breakfast with their musical instruments, setup crew, and other equipment. Sticks 'N' Stones followed a few minutes later: the two bands were touring together over the summer.

Despite the quickness of their entry, the two bands soon slowed down and halted when they saw a sight that they had subconsciously deemed impossible: Princess Fernypoo covered from head to toe with sweat and dirt. Even after the war with Jahbal, it seemed that Fernypoo could still shock people with how responsible and mature she had become.

"Girlfriend, you need a bath and quick! Who would've thought that a Princess could get so dirty?" Tyraxa said as she put her drumsticks in one of her dress pockets.

"I can't expect two people to do the work of six or seven people, now can I? I'm much more than royalty these days." Ferny responded as Hannah joined in the conversation.

"And don't I know it? Ferny's either been lifting something, cleaning something, or crunching numbers on the calculator all day! She's been doing more work than me, Armin, and Kanrik put together!" Hannah agreed.

"So you're kinda like Jimmy Browning. 'The hardest working Princess in all Royalty'!" Tyraxa answered as Hannah and Fernypoo laughed.

Suddenly, Princess Fernypoo got a weird grin on her face. Hannah started shaking her head and groaning as Ferny rose up a finger of inspiration. It wasn't long before Tyraxa and the other members of Twisted Roses were talking in private.

Armin and Kanrik were upstairs, but they had seen what had just happened and they came rushing down the stairs to join Hannah in her complete state of shock.

"She's gotten one of her harebrained ideas again, hasn't she?" Armin asked as Hannah violently nodded.

"I swear, if she ruins tonight's grand opening, I'll…" Hannah growled as she shook her fist in the air.

**Later that night, at about 6pm…**

"Ladies, Gentleman, and Young Ones, I welcome you to the Grand Opening of 'Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast'!" Kanrik announced to an audience of over four hundred well-dressed Neopians. Among them were King Jazan and his wife Nabile, Princess Amira, Magax, Magnus the Inferno, Jeran, Sophie and her family from Neovia, and Illusen. They were all anxiously anticipating the concert that would kick off a night-long celebration: the first of its' kind in Meridell since the end of the war.

Backstage, Ferny was getting eyed by Armin like she was an angel…an angel in a radiant black dress that is.

"You know, you should really be getting ready to handle the lighting instead of gawking over me like this. It isn't like I've never put on makeup and other stuff before." Ferny chuckled as Armin blinked his eyes heavily.

"I'm sorry; it's just that Hannah never tries to look as pretty as you. Otherwise, I'd probably have my eyes glued to her." Armin replied as Hannah came up behind him.

Armin was whirled around and came face to face with a Hannah completely unlike any he had ever laid his peepers on.

"I'll just leave you two alone. I'm going to be on in a few minutes anyway." Fernypoo said as she shook her head and left.

Out on stage, Sticks 'N' Stones was getting the crowd into a good-hearted frenzy. The mosh pit was alive and kicking; Jazan was currently getting pushed forward with his wife not too far behind. In a couple of minutes, it would be Twisted Roses turn to rock the castle. Ferny couldn't wait.

"And now, live and in living ebony, it is time for the three 'Glam Girls of Goth': Twisted Roses!!" Kanrik yelled as four hundred plus fans put their fists in the air and screamed their heads off. The three ladies bowed for a few minutes: they were always filled with awe and appreciation for their fan support.

"Tonight, we have a special treat for you. You're going to get four girls for the price of three. Joining us to shake the stage is Princess Fernypoo and her Battle Axe of Annihilation!" Tyraxa screamed as Fernypoo jumped out to the stage and belted out a few chords to show the crowd that she could rock too.

"Good show, Princess. Let's kick it up a notch with 'Inner Child'. One…two…one, two, three…" Mylina whispered in Ferny's direction as she grabbed the mike and got ready to sing.

Six songs and one break later, Twisted Roses was bowing to the crowd again with Ferny doing so right along with them. Mylina hushed the crowd after a few more minutes in preparation for something that she and Ferny felt was appropriate in ending the concert.

"Thank you…from the bottom of our hearts. Tonight has been awesome and we were happy to share it with you all, with Hannah and Ferny, with our tour mates Sticks 'N' Stones, and with everyone else that helped make tonight possible. But we want to take a moment to remember someone who has recently passed away…someone who helped pave the way for several kinds of music…someone who gave his life in being 'The Hardest Working Neopian in Show Business'. Tonight, we and Princess Fernypoo are going to perform on of his most famous songs in tribute to his legacy and everything he did to influence us and others. For you, wherever you are, Jimmy Browning: 'Living in Neopia'!" Mylina yelled as the crowd got on their feet in anticipation.

The song was emotional and everyone in the crowd seemed to light a candle during the lengthy, final chorus which ended one of the most memorable nights, and concerts, in the history of Meridell. 'Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast' was officially a smash hit and the two owners couldn't have been happier. They could only hope that the future of their business would be as successful as their beginning.


	2. The Breakfast Pizza

The B and B

The Breakfast Pizza

_Written by Joshua King_

Hannah wasn't one to sleep in late…but this was too much.

"I have to wake up at six in the morning, every morning?" Hannah asked as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

" 'Fraid so, Hannah. First wake-up is in two hours and we've gotta have breakfast ready by then. But it'll be a little easier after today. We won't have a concert lasting until midnight every day to worry about." Ferny said encouragingly.

Hannah nodded as she opened up the deep freeze and soon spotted a big box of breakfast pizzas.

"How abut some frozen breakfast pizzas for the meal. We've got plenty of them, you know."

"I don't think so, my furry friend. One of my cardinal rules is that if you're going to feed guests, you give them food made from scratch. But I do like the idea about breakfast pizzas, so I guess we can make some ourselves."

"You're including me in this! Have you noticed that I'm still groggy and that what you want to do will probably take a lot longer than what we have?" Hannah yelled as Ferny prepared to fire a return volley.

"Well I'm sure not going to prepare frozen food to our customers. That may be all well and good for us as a quick snack but our customers will get the very best. And you're supposed to have so much restaurant experience!"

Armin and Kanrik had finished the morning cleaning by this time and were looking forward to a minute of rest. The sight of an angry Fernypoo with a rolling pin and a bowl filled with flour signaling for them to come closer made them throw that notion out the window.  
"We're going to be making breakfast pizzas from scratch, boys! Armin, I want you to open up all of these cans here and mix the contents together. Kanrik, open up the refrigerator and pull out my secret stash box. Hannah…" Ferny said as she noticed Hannah's still groggy and frustrated form hunched over the marble countertop.

"Hannah, come on. We've got two wakka-wakka sized pies to make. Here, get started on this and join us as soon as your nerves get woke up." Ferny said with a shake of her head as she placed a large cup of coffee next to Hannah.

Twenty minutes later, by some sheer force of will, the base for the two pizzas was ready. Now they just had to decide on the toppings, which they all knew would lead to much arguing among themselves. Eventually, they decided on making a traditional breakfast pizza along with one that would be a 'B and B' specialty.

"A 'Fruvej Inferno Breakfast Pizza'?! Are you kidding me? What in Illusen's Green Glades is gonna be in it?" Kanrik asked as Ferny pointed to the secret stash box.

Inside he found a smorgasbord of Meridell vegetables, Mystery Island fruits and a large bottle of 'Inferno Mollusk Salsa'. Kanrik looked back at Ferny with a look similar to that of one who had just seen their favorite toy get smothered by snot.

"And you really think that people will eat such a pizza?" Hannah asked as Ferny rolled up her sleeves.

"We won't know until we try, will we?" Ferny answered back as she got to work.

After about fifteen minutes, the pizzas were ready to be baked in the oven. The pleasant smell that had come about due to the mixture of foods in the 'Fruvej Inferno Breakfast Pizza' completely surprised Hannah, Armin, and Kanrik. They couldn't believe that their beloved Princess could actually cook too.

The pleasant smell wasn't lost on the customers sleeping upstairs either. Jeran was the first to wake up because of the aroma the encompassed the bed and breakfast. He was in such a state of curiousness as to the source of such a fragrance that he almost came downstairs in nothing but his bike shorts. Thankfully, he remembered that he wasn't at home and he finished getting dressed as quick as possible before running down the stairs.

"And our first customer has appeared out of the heavy fog of sleep. We'll have this ready soon so turn on the news. I know you have to keep up on everything that goes on." Ferny said quickly as she continued to work.

Kanrik and Armin sighed heavily as they prepared to make Jeran's bed and clean up his room. Their period of rest had lasted two minutes and twelve seconds. Even Hannah was bustling around the bed and breakfast: she was now serving Jeran the same coffee that she had been drinking before to get her motor running.

"Thanks, Hannah. French Vanilla, if I'm not mistaken. I sure don't get coffee this good at King Skarl's Castle!" Jeran commented to himself as he took a long drink of the black beverage from his tall mug. He was soon lavishing the "Frujev Inferno Breakfast Pizza" with such comments as he took big bites of it and wiped his mouth with a napkin with a carefree flourish.

"I don't know how you can put up with Ferny all the time." Hannah interjected as Jeran turned his head in surprise at the abruptness of the question.

"You get used to it after a while. She's just the kind of woman who can never settle down and let life happen. It's like life is her private spaceship and she has to be in the cockpit driving the thing. But you and I both know that she's a good person and means well."

A few minutes later, King Jazan and Queen Nabile were seen coming down the stairs. They soon joined Jeran in their praise of Fernypoo's pizza and Hannah's coffee. The two ladies couldn't help but smile with reddish cheeks.

"It looks like all of that effort paid off. Now to get this kitchen spotless…it won't be but a few hours before we'll be inviting more customers in here." Ferny said as Hannah brought in dirty cups and plates and placed them in the sink to be washed.

"I know. I can't even think of what we're going to serve for dinner tonight. I guess if pizza worked, then anything can be made into something exquisite by my hands" Fernypoo bragged to herself as Hannah's arms found themselves on her hips.

Fernypoo caught Hannah's annoyed stance and gave her a return look that let Hannah know that she was only kidding. Hannah returned to her peaceful state in response as she called Armin and Kanrik down to quietly celebrate their first morning in business.

Five cups of coffee and eight slices of pizza later, Jeran had left the bed and breakfast with Jazan and his wife not far behind. Ferny noticed Jeran leave and rushed out the door to meet him.

"Are you off so soon? You're shift at King Skarl's castle doesn't start until five o'clock. You could stay and spend some time with me, you know."

"Doing what exactly? Watching you work like mad and wondering why I put up with it? When are you going to come to a halt and settle down? I'm not trying to ignore or belittle the bed and breakfast or the other good things you're doing. But at some point, you've got to just stop and live life instead of trying to bend it to your will." Jeran said in frustration as Ferny sighed heavily.

"There's just so much that I want to do, Jeran. When I was making breakfast this morning and I came up with the pizza off the top of my head and my friends and I served it and it made people happy…I know that there are so many other ways that I could do that. Maybe you're right…maybe I need to plant some roots here."

"Just remember that if you do, there is no limit to how far the roots can stretch out. But you need them to stay grounded and to get nourishment. I see it in your eyes; you're worn out trying to do something. I won't ask what it is because I know you won't tell me yet. But I know all this good you're doing isn't just for others." Jeran said as Ferny suddenly felt like a closet in her soul had been forced open. It seemed that her food wasn't the only thing that Ferny was trying to remake from scratch.


	3. The Cappuccino Maker

The B and B

The Cappuccino Maker

_Written By Joshua King_

Christmas Day is usually a happy time, with everyone in Neopia giving presents and embraces to one another. But for at least one person in Neopia…

"This is the worst day in my life!" Ferny ranted as she paced the cold floor of the 'Igloo Garage Mega Mart'. She and Hannah had been waiting for over an hour to purchase one item: a MightyJoe X6000 Cappuccino and Coffee Maker. It was a marvel in caffeine-laced drink technology, being able to make everything from Hot Borovan to Espresso to coffee stronger than a charging moose.

Unfortunately for the two of them, just about everyone in Neopia had came to the Mart to do one of two things: get a refund on a great present that the receiver thought was simply lousy or cash in their giant stack of gift cards. Needless to say, steam was coming out from Ferny like a whistling teapot.

"This stinks! You'd think by now that Mika and Carassa would've installed self-service computers like all the other stores!" Ferny fumed again as Hannah chuckled.

"That'd kinda kill the 'Garage Sale Game' wouldn't it?"

"So what if it did? They should just remake it where you've gotta scan items before they fall. At least it'd be a bigger hit than waiting like this is!"

Hannah chuckled again as a family of Bruces walked behind them and waved. They had been customers at the Bed and Breakfast a few weeks earlier. Their greeting got Hannah thinking and she started walking towards the mart entrance.

"Where are you going?" Ferny called out as Hannah turned around and pointed to a booth.

"I'm gonna call Armin and Kanrik really quick. It won't take long." Hannah replied as Ferny muttered 'sure it won't' under her breath.

When Hannah got to the phone, a young Ruki by the name of John Spiritwarrior was using it to talk to his guild assistant. Hannah had met him before while delivering medical donations to a Red Cross shelter. He had been looking for his older brother, Joshua Spiritwarrior, at the time.

John hung up the phone soon after seeing Hannah. They walked back over to Ferny as a tall Lenny got ready to use the phone in Hannah's place.

"Did you make your call or did this handsome drink of water entice you first?" Ferny giggled as Hannah shook her finger with a laugh.

"This is John Spiritwarrior. He's the one I told you about, the one looking for his older brother." Hannah said as Ferny put her hand on John's shoulder.

"You never found him, did you?" Ferny said as John nodded.

"The police caught the person responsible for the kidnapping of my brother. He was arrested at an adoption agency trying to pawn off three of the kids he had nabbed onto a family of Shoyrus. As for my older brother, the police consider him to be a 'cold case'. They told me that the kidnapper had confessed to leaving my brother in the Haunted Woods for dead when he had found out that my brother wasn't fifteen like he had thought, but twenty-three years old. My brother was always thought to be younger in appearance than he really was. But I never thought that such a fact would do him in like that." John said with a quivering lip.

John waved goodbye to them as Ferny noticed the line move up considerably. She barely beat an impatient Kiko who was trying to cut in line. Hannah went back over to the phone booth where a tall Lenny was busy chatting away. It wasn't long before Hannah herself began to feel very angry. She had waited ten minutes and he was still on the line!

By this time, Ferny had **finally** purchased the MightyJoe X6000 Cappuccino and Coffee Maker. She held the heavy item proudly as she walked up to an infuriated Hannah who looked her way. The talkative Lenny had just gotten off the telephone and was leaving the store. Suddenly, Ferny gave Hannah an evil grin.

"What?!" Hannah responded as Ferny pointed to the phone booth.

In the few seconds that had transpired, a female Grarrl had started using the phone despite Hannah's presence right next to it.

Hannah angrily tapped the Grarrl's shoulder several times. The Grarrl turned around after telling her friend about the 'impatient semi-celeb who can't hold her tail for a minute'.

"Did you happen to notice me waiting here before you just stole the phone away? Here's me, waiting for fifteen minutes and here is you, just butting in! See something wrong with this picture?" Hannah said in a rage as the Grarrl just turned back around and continued to talk to her friend.

As the Grarrl kept insulting Hannah with comments like 'Mrs. One season on the _The Look_ might get me if I don't hang up right now', Hannah suddenly rolled up her sleeves and balled up her right fist. Ferny couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Hannah, don't do this. Not in front of everyone in the Mart. For your own good…" Ferny whispered as Hannah turned to her and returned the evil smile Ferny had given her earlier.

"Nah, baby, I've got to." Hannah smirked as she spun the Grarrl around like a loose barstool and cold-clocked her with a 105lb haymaker. She soon had the applause of everyone in the Mart…except for the security guards which were quickly about to intercept them.

The phone was left drooping and the Grarrl's friend was left in shock on the other end as Hannah and Ferny raced to their Toyota convertible and drove off for their bed and breakfast. With the sounds of _Twisted Roses_ to carry them, they could only imagine what Armin and Kanrik would have to say when they heard the news of what had happened.


	4. The WriteOffs

The B and B

The Write-Offs

_Written by Joshua King_

"You sure look busy, Ferny. And here I was gonna complain about bleaching the walls again." Armin said as he got to work on the kitchen floor.

"I'm already done with my personal income forms. That was easy. Doing the tax forms for a small business is another ballpark, however. I'm just glad that I have _NitroTax 2006_ on this computer."

"I thought you were gonna let your friend at _G & T Slab_ look it over." Kanrik added as he came in from getting the mail.

"When I've finished, Kanrik. But I still have to go over my inventory costs, repair costs, and tips."

"Remind me never to try and get a degree in accounting." Armin said coldly as Ferny and Kanrik rubbed their fingers to say 'they make a lot of money'.

After about another hour and a half, Ferny opened up her MSN Messenger account and started talking to her friend from _G & T_ _Slab _through a microphone.

"How goes it, Tax Girl? I've finished the business forms and I'm faxing a copy of them to you now."

"Great! You sure finished them in a hurry…or was it the coffee that did all of the work?"

"Funny, Yvonne, funny. So do you see any loopholes or have I taken them all?" Ferny said with a dead-pan look.

"Ummm…you did get that cappuccino maker fixed, right?"

"I sure did, the day after I bought it. I still can't believe I had to get Donnie to fix it after having waited for two hours at the 'Igloo Garage Mega-Mart' just to buy it!...Can you believe that Hannah's in court right now? She's being sued by the Grarrl she sucker-punched." Ferny said with a slightly frantic tone.

"They should crown you 'The Change Subject Queen of Neopia', you know that?"

"Whatever, Yvonne. So what's up with asking me about the cappuccino maker?"

"There's a loophole, and it's the only one you've missed, that lets you get a complete refund on an item for your business that had to be repaired within one week of purchase. I assume you have the purchase and repair receipts, right?"

"Of course I do. I'll have them faxed over as soon as I find them." Ferny said as she opened a drawer in her desk so she could look for them.

"Well, I'm signing off girlfriend. Talk to you later, okay?" Yvonne said as Ferny closed her Messenger account.

**Meanwhile, at the Terror Mountain Courthouse…**

"Order in the court, the Honorable Judge Maria Taggert is going to read her verdict in the case of 'DeMarco vs. Hawthorne'. Please be seated." the bailiff said as the audience obeyed quietly. The judge had only been gone a few minutes, but Hannah was already nervous.

"I have heard all of the arguments in this case and I have made my verdict. Hannah Hawthorne, while I am sympathetic to your frustrations with Mrs. DeMarco, I cannot condone your actions against her. You were both hostile and out of line. It is one thing to want to do something like that and it is understandable. I can speak from experience that I myself would have most certainly wanted to do what you did in the Mart to Mrs. DeMarco. We are all given many choices of action in such a situation: to walk away, to verbally speak our displeasure in a civil manner, and the like. You made the wrong choice and, if I were you, I would be relieved that you are coming out of this with just a warning and that your business has not suffered a great deal of bad publicity." the judge said as she looked over at Mrs. DeMarco.

"As for you, your suit against Mrs. Hawthorne in the amount of one hundred thousand neopoints seems to be motivated by sheer revenge and not actual damages. You were given a black eye and some humiliation in the category of falling on slippery ice in front of a crowd. Get over it and go home! I am going to recommend that Mrs. Hawthorne, if she cannot control her angry outbursts on her own, enroll in some anger management classes. But that is the extent of my judgment in this matter. Case dismissed!"

With a light sigh of relief, Hannah drove home to a now bustling bed and breakfast. It was 6pm, which meant that everyone who was coming to spend the night was either in line to register or in the dining room eating country fried steak and mashed potatoes.

"How'd court go, Miss 'One Season on _The Look_'?" Princess Amira said as she stuffed her face with mashed potatoes.

"Why do you have to bring that up? It was two years ago for crying out loud!" Hannah growled and yelled as the entire patronage of the bed and breakfast suddenly turned around and stared at her.

"You've gotta admit though, it was funny. And it made the NBS supervisors as mad as a hornet's nest." Jeran commented from one of the tables where he was sitting with Ferny.

"Well I wouldn't have been forced to spill vegetable dip all over Barbara Winters' dress if she'd simply kept quiet about my romance with Garin the Pirate."

At this, the entire bed and breakfast became filled with laughing, especially because Hannah had just returned from getting reprimanded for the same type of behavior.

"Well I for one thought that what you did yesterday was both brave and hilarious. Especially because you did it to a Grarrl! What was she, like, three times your size?!" Magax the Destroyer added from his seat by the fireplace. He was soon joined by other comments like 'remind me never to get her angry' and 'ten times at least' which filled the dining room.

By this time, Kanrik and Armin were being forced to turn people away from the bed and breakfast as they were filled to capacity. It seemed that Hannah's antics had actually increased business.

After a few more hours of eating and carrying on, all of the patrons of the bed and breakfast turned in at the sound of the large grandfather clock chiming ten p.m. Finally the two owners and their hired help had some time to themselves. Jeran was the only customer who didn't go to bed: he had the weekend off and wasn't particularly interested in getting up early.

"So when do you get your tax return back?" Kanrik asked as Ferny and Jeran filled their mugs with hot borovan.

"Six to eight weeks. I could've applied for a loan and had my money sooner, but I don't mind waiting for it. I'm going to have enough to worry about with this promotional tour me and Hannah are going on next Thursday."

Armin and Kanrik grinned evily to themselves. They would be all by themselves and during Valentine's Day, no doubt. They could only imagine what crazy things would encompass them in one week's time.

Unfortunately for them, Hannah had caught their looks back and forth. She silently pointed to a piece of paper on the wall that they had not noticed as they had walked into the room…almost as if they subconsciously knew that it contained something that they consciously didn't want to see.

"We have to do all of that while you're gone?!" Armin said as he bent his head and moaned. Kanrik soon did the same. It looked like their romantic plans would be put on hold for a while…or so they thought.


	5. The Friend Search

The B and B

The Friend Search

_Written By Joshua King_

Love was in the air at _'Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast'_. It was Valentine's Day and the restaurant was packed with couples wanting to have some quiet time together and single guys and gals looking for their special someone.

Armin and Kanrik, unfortunately, were too busy cooking and serving to enjoy the festivities. They finally realized what they had gotten themselves into when they suggested that Hannah and Ferny go on a promotional tour.

It was only after everyone had either left or turned in for the night that Armin and Kanrik had some peace and quiet.

"We made one hundred ninety six thousand neopoints! That's a record for the restaurant, Armin!" Kanrik said as he turned on the computer and faxed the daily sales form to Ferny.

"Maybe Ferny will make us more than chore boys now." Armin added as Kanrik said 'don't hold your breath' and logged off the computer.

After filling his coffee mug, Armin logged on himself and checked his email. It was there that he found a quite pleasant surprise. He called Kanrik over and showed him the Valentine's Day card that he had received. It was signed 'your secret admirer'.

"Ooh, Armin has a widdle crush." Karmin teased as he clasped his hands in a cute gesture.

"Had to include the 'widdle' part, didn't you?" Armin said as he noted an attachment with the email.

He clicked on it and found himself staring at a riddle:

_Sitting on the beanbag_

_Hearing a little tune above_

_From a very big guy inside_

_As far as his heart filled with love_

_I'm a Yurble who loves flowers_

_Find me if you can_

_In a place where you pay_

_For the caring of your hands_

"What could this mean, Kanrik?" Armin asked as Kanrik prepared to go to bed.

"It means you're going out to find her tomorrow while I run the restaurant by myself."

"I couldn't do that to you."

"Nonsense, Armin! It'll probably be a slow day, anyway." Kanrik replied as he went upstairs to bed.

**The next morning, in Neopia Central…**

Armin had an idea of where his 'secret admirer' could be as he headed down the street to the bazaar. He quickly spotted his target: 'The House of Nails'. It was a flowery manicurist business which also offered massages and pedicures. The cashier walked up to Armin and handed him a sealed envelope.

"A Yurble teenager about your size told me to give this to you if you came in." the cashier said as she giggled along with her assistant.

"How romantic, a game of 'cat and mouse' between boy and girl. Hope you catch her soon, by the way." the assistant said as Armin waved goodbye and left.

He walked up to a bus stop bench and sat down to open the envelope and read the note inside:

_Good job, you're a smart Bori_

_To find my note in such a hurry_

_But now I am somewhere new_

_Where nothing blocks the sky so blue_

_At a place where feet are tickled_

_And nature stains your jeans_

_Where people run and jump and play_

_And all the ground is green_

Armin knew where she was referring to after thinking for a few seconds. He literally started running to the Neopia Central Park. It took him almost two hours. In the center was a giant fountain and he strangely felt drawn to its beautiful water and elegant marble statue of Fyora, the Faerie Queen. A gentleman sitting nearby walked up to him and handed him a note:

_Toss in a coin and look at yourself_

_And you'll soon see someone else._

Armin dug into his shirt pocket and found a dusty five neopoint piece. He tossed it lazily into the fountain's calm waters. He soon saw a Yurble with a flower in her hair and he spun around in surprise.

"And you must be…" Armin started to say as his quarry started to laugh.

"Ana, short for Anastasia. I just transferred to Meridell High School from Happy Valley High School. You probably didn't notice me as a new arrival since I don't have any classes that you are in and I sit almost completely across the cafeteria from you during breakfast and lunch."

"So why this game of cat and mouse if you don't mind me asking?"

"For one, I know you work at _Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast_ due to the fact that I was just there last week. I need a job and I read on the bulletin board that the place has an opening for a waitress part time. The other is that I find you to be quite interesting. Seeing as I've only been in Meridell for three weeks, I could use a friend." Ana said as Armin took his turn at laughing out loud.

"And you think that I'm your source for a good reference. We've only known each other for two minutes! As far as being your friend, we shall see. I don't just give away friendships or trust." Armin chuckled as Ana nodded in respect of his views.

"If there's anything I admire, it is honesty. I really have no place asking you for your help. But I thought if you got to know me, you could convince Hannah or Ferny that I would be the right choice for the job. This would take care of both of the reasons for my game with you."

"You're lucky I like games. I think I will help you get that job and maybe you will also gain a friend after all. But I must tell you that Hannah and Ferny are not at the bed and breakfast. They are on a promotional tour for the next month and a half." Armin chuckled again.

Surprisingly, Anastasia took Armin's left hand and looked him dead in the eye. Armin naturally blushed and began to sweat slightly as if he were trying to take a midterm with an awe-inspiring actress in front of him as distraction.

"I guess that means that we will have plenty of time to get acquainted…as friends of course." Anastasia stated as Armin felt relieved at having some of his stress and anxiety removed.

So it was, until Hannah and Ferny came back, that Anastasia and Armin hung out together at school and attended class together. In their spare time, they did the typical things that teenage friends do. And all the while Kanrik, who was never with them but couldn't help but smile when he thought of them, remembered vaguely someone to whom he'd had the same feelings…and it haunted him.


	6. The Double Blind

The B and B

The Double Blind

_Written By Joshua King_

The warm winds of summer were blowing in Meridell, the sun was shining weakly but noticeably and the laughter of friends could be heard…

"So I said to Kanrik, 'Are you gonna drink that or use it as a paperweight?'" Armin laughed as Kanrik felt more and more alone. Ana, the nice friend that Armin had met at the Neopia Central Park, had come to join them for an afternoon of rare peace and quiet in the back patio of the bed and breakfast. But Kanrik wasn't having any fun and it showed.

"You okay, Kanrik? I didn't mean to offend you with that bad joke. I was just hoping a little humor would cheer you up." Armin apologized as Kanrik sighed heavily.

"It's not you, Armin. I always get like this when I see two people that are good friends just having fun. It reminds me of past times and that has a depressing effect on me." Kanrik moped as Anastasia put her arm around his shoulder.

"My friend from Shenkuu will be here soon. Maybe she'll become your friend like Armin became mine."

"She'd have to have the looks and the personality of a faerie to do that."

A few minutes later, Ana's friend arrived and Kanrik felt obligated to take a quick look. Within seconds, he could hear _'Dreamweaver'_ in his head.

"H…Hi." Kanrik said as the beautiful and peaceful Korbat took the last empty seat at the table.

"Hello, I'm Mariko…you know, for someone with such a depressed look, you sure are funny."

"I hope so, that's the only good thing I've got!" Kanrik blurted as he suddenly slapped his hand over his mouth.

His companions burst out laughing as Kanrik tried to compose himself. Mariko gave Kanrik a warm smile as she pulled out a deck of playing cards from her pocket and folded her cane. It was only then that Kanrik noticed that Mariko was blind.

"Are we ready to play?" Ana said as she cut the deck and dealt thirteen cards to each player. They had decided earlier to play Spades.

As Ana dealt, Kanrik noticed little bumps on the cards. He knew that it was Braille, the physical language used by those who are blind to read things. It was then that he shut down in fear of saying something that would offend or embarrass Mariko. His mouth would be as closed as a steel trap.

"This will be a throwaway hand, guys. I'll warn ya, Ana and I have been practicing. You two will have it tough!" Armin bragged as Mariko whispered words of concern for Kanrik into Ana's ear. It didn't take long for Ana to respond.

"What's up with you today, Kanrik? It doesn't have anything to do with Mariko, does it?"

Kanrik released a pent-up sigh and looked at Mariko with an apologetic look in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I noticed you're, you know…and I didn't want to embarrass you by accident…Ana and Armin know how loose my mouth can be…but I think that it's cool…you're cool, Mariko…" Kanrik stammered as his companions chuckled to themselves.

Mariko then did something really cool. She walked over and hugged Kanrik like he was her big brother or something.

"You know, most people have a hard time with people like me. I think it's cool that you wanted to try and not talk just to avoid saying something about my blindness. But you can't be afraid like that. I've accepted my condition and I'm stronger for it. In fact, I have a quite unique way of seeing the world these days." Mariko said proudly as Kanrik snapped his fingers.

"That's right! You're a Korbat, so you can use echolocation to see when it's dark. But you've got to be like the master of it as much as you use it, right? Most Korbat's only use it late at night occasionally. But you've got it on all the time, right?" Kanrik asked like a little kid who'd just discovered something amazing.

"I can definitely use my natural gift better than most. Even the quietest of sounds lets me see the world the same way one does using a virtual reality program. Not only that, but all of my other senses are enhanced to boot. My only weakness is that I can't see in a lot of detail hence my need to read in Braille."

"So why do you carry a cane if you can still see, more or less?" Kanrik asked candidly as Ana and Armin groaned as if he'd just missed a basket in a championship basketball game.

"It's for my grandfather. His eyesight isn't what it used to be either and he's too old to get around without a little help." Mariko explained as Kanrik looked into her eyes as if he was searching for hidden treasure in her soul. His other friends, unfortunately, were getting a little annoyed. It had been ten minutes since Ana had dealt the cards and they hadn't started the game yet!

It was then that Armin thought of a really good idea. He quickly went inside and grabbed the worn, but latest copy of _The Neopian Times_ and brought it back to the table. He flipped to the Life section and pointed to the list of movies playing at the theater.

"Let me guess, you're thinking of a double date instead of just us…I don't see why not as long as we've got enough neopoints for two more." Ana said as Mariko quickly looked in her purse for some money and found two 500 neopoint bills.

"But how can Mariko see the movie?" Kanrik candidly said again as Ana looked at him with a look of surprise.

"Here you were afraid of embarrassing her half an hour ago and now you're playing _Twenty Questions_?" Ana responded with a hint of frustration as Mariko responded to Kanrik's inquiry.

"I can't see every minute detail of a movie, but my echolocation lets me see enough to know what's going on. And with all of the practice I've went through, the volume of a movie isn't a factor on how well I can view the movie."

Ana and Armin were amazed at the level of honesty and trust that Kanrik and Mariko had between each other in such a short time. It was as if they had been friends all of their lives, but had just forgotten each other for a while. They couldn't have been closer to the truth.

**That night, at the **_**'Majestic Meridell Theater'**_**…**

Kanrik, Armin, Ana, and Mariko walked into the theater quickly after exiting the cab they had came in. It was starting to rain lightly and Kanrik couldn't help but notice that Mariko's smile was especially big.

"It must be unique, the way you see the rain."

"The drops, the way they hit the ground…it looks like beads of light from the sky are falling down and dancing for a few moments before disappearing. And every drop of rain has its own unique dance, like I've heard that each snowflake has a unique design. It's one of my favorite moments, especially on a starless night like this one." Mariko said beautifully. Kanrik couldn't help but feel his heart melt, like only one time before in his life. But for some reason, he couldn't remember that moment no matter how hard he tried to.

Armin took everyone's neopoints and bought the tickets and the largest box of popcorn that they could afford. They entered the place where they were showing _Defenders of Neopia: The Final Stand_ and sat down in a near-empty row in the middle.

For two hours, Mariko was the happiest Korbat in Neopia. At first, so was Kanrik. But as he glanced back and forth at the movie and at Mariko, he finally realized why she had felt so familiar. He quietly left the theater to retreat to himself, but he wasn't able to leave unnoticed. It wasn't long before Mariko was at his side.

"Mariko, I didn't want to tell you this but I know I should. Ever since I first saw you today, I've felt something that I haven't felt for a long time. It wasn't until I was watching the movie with you that I could get a tab on when and where I first felt that way. And now that I know this…" Kanrik tried to say as Mariko looked at him and held his shoulder.

"I know about you're former life in the Thieves Guild and about the time that you first saw me. It was when I was eight and you were eleven, I think. You probably wanted to rid your mind of any memory of that time in the gang and so you at first didn't recognize me. But I knew who you were as soon as I saw you. We're both adults now and I can tell that you are a good person."

"What about your brother, Kazuya? He's hated me ever since you became blind and I know he wouldn't approve of us being friends, much less something more."

"I'm twenty years old and you're twenty four. Even if he has anger and resentment at you, I'm still old enough to choose who I want to have a friendship with. And who better to have that with than the only person who could make me smile back then, even if it was for only a few minutes?" Mariko said as she hugged Kanrik emotionally.

Despite the passage of time, Kanrik thought, the unique bond they shared hadn't died. It had endured somehow, even when he'd forgotten about Mariko. He felt like they could take on the world if they wanted in order to embrace the ties that had endured between them. They were more than friends…they were soul mates.


	7. The Warm Chill

The B and B

The Warm Chill

_Written By Joshua King_

"The supply truck's here!" Kanrik yelled from the back of the bed and breakfast. It was Friday and, as usual, the supply truck was coming just in time to save them from not having food for their customers. And, as usual, Kanrik and Armin would be doing all of the heavy lifting and moving while Hannah and Ferny moved their pens to make sure that they had gotten everything they ordered.

Their suppliers, on the contrary, were anything but usual. Former enemies of Neopia turned into honest businessmen, Captain Scarblade and Balthazar had formed _Scarzar Supply Co._ from the ground up using only themselves and some seed money from Ferny. Six months later, they were the sole suppliers for _Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast_, _Kelp, _and _Hubert's Hot Dogs_.

As Hannah and Ferny came downstairs to check on the unloading of the supplies, Scarblade sprinted from the truck and showed them something which brought a big smile to their faces.

"You're trading stocks at 245 neopoints a share? It looks like our seed money is coming back as a harvest." Ferny said with exhilaration as Scarblade sat down to get a breather.

"That's not all, Ferny. We've also been able to get a contract with the _Igloo Garage Mega-Mart_. We'll be their chief supplier now that most of the competition has abandoned them due to the chaotic weather up there."

Ferny nodded pleasantly as she looked over the inventory sheet and checked everything. It was then that she caught something unpleasant from the television in the main hall. The sad and distraught commotion she heard from her customers soon after confirmed her dread: a huge snowstorm was coming down from Happy Valley towards their chunk of Meridell. The weatherman was reporting that it would hit them with twelve to fifteen inches of snow and ice within the next two hours.

Thankfully, Kanrik and Armin had finished getting the food and items inside the bed and breakfast by this time. Unfortunately, they didn't have much of a chance to catch their breath. Within seconds of them putting the last box on the floor, they were nearly stampeded by Scarblade's hefty form as he took his clipboard and ran outside. He could already see snow falling and starting to cover the hood of the truck.

"I'm going to go ahead and go before it gets much worse. I'll be on channel 11 on the CB if you can get through. Keep me posted on how you guys are doing, okay?" Scarblade said quickly as he hopped into his truck and drove away.

With their own waves goodbye, all of the customers who had vehicles left for their homes. Those who were left tried to settle in as best they could, knowing that it was going to be a rough night. Ferny did her part by making hot cappuccino for everyone and getting dinner ready. Armin and Kanrik finished putting the supplies away and hurried to the shed in the back. Pulling out a large generator, they carefully carried it inside and laid it in the back corner of the kitchen.

"Good thinking, guys. Now we won't have to worry about having power even if the lines get knocked down." Hannah said with a big smile as Armin and Kanrik nodded.

"And we won't be in danger of our inventory going bad before we can start using it." Armin added with a devilish smirk.

Strangely, the next few hours in the bed and breakfast were as serene as a nativity scene. Most of the customers were looking out the windows to view the snow falling down or sitting by the fireplace peacefully. But then the weather decided that a change was needed. The sound of crashing tree limbs, unable to hold the massive weight of accumulated snow, was the first of many interruptions to the peace inside. And then, the bed and breakfast became dark, very dark. Thankfully, Hannah and her friends had prepared for the worst.

"Okay everyone, settle down now. We've got a good supply of candles, so we should be able to get light in here within a few minutes. As soon as the snowfall stops, we'll get the generator set up outside and power will be back on." Ferny encouraged as she placed a large candle in the center of the dining room table and lighted it with a match. Armin and Kanrik did the same to the tables in the lobby. This, along with the already lighted fireplace, soon had the bed and breakfast as illuminated as before the blackout. It was then that they heard the crackle of their CB radio and the familiar voice of Scarblade.

"Hannah and Ferny come in. This is Big Poppa Pirate hollering at you from the sand bowl."

"You've got Hannah here from the Eat and Sleep. We've lost power, but we're using candles to get light back in here. What are you doing in the Lost Desert, good buddy?"

"I was just trying to get as far south as possible. That and I hadn't seen Jazan and Nabile in a piece. They're getting the word out about the storm and they want to know if you guys can handle doing some relief." Scarblade said as he got Jazan on the radio.

"We've got reports from the Neopian Weather Bureau that all of Meridell and Brightvale are blanketed. King Skarl and his brother have filled both of their castles to capacity and there are still people out of their homes or trying to make it without heat."

After thinking about it a minute and getting the okay from Ferny, she got back on the radio while Ferny ordered Armin and Kanrik to prepare for more guests.

"We've got room for about sixty more people, but that's all we can house without violating our restaurant health codes." Hannah replied as Scarblade got back on the radio.

"I'll be coming over there in a few hours with some food and medical supplies from here in Qasala and also from Sakhmet. Hopefully it will be enough to get you guys through this disaster."

"Tell King Jazan and Princess Amira thank you before you leave, okay. We owe you guys a lot."

"King Jazan says that if you give him, his wife, and Princess Amira free food and board next time they're in the area, he'll call it even." Scarblade said with a laugh.

"Consider it done, Big Poppa Pirate. 10-4, over and out!" Hannah replied as she joined Armin and Kanrik in getting things ready for their new arrivals.

**Late that night…**

"Hannah…wake up…" Kanrik said as he rubbed her shoulder gently. Scarblade had finally arrived with the food, medicine, and people needing a place to stay. But, for Hannah, her body didn't care. It needed rest and nothing or nobody would deny it that requirement.

In the kitchen, Ferny was in a state of busyness that she had never endured before. With ninety mouths to feed and clothe and warm, she almost felt a kind of euphoria that she'd not experienced since she was a child. She was doing something good; she was making a difference in the lives of people who were in need.

For the next few days, even though the power was back on thanks to their generator, things at the bed and breakfast remained very much the same. Because of the massive amount of snow still lying on the frozen ground, few of the ninety people who had initially came to the restaurant for shelter could return to their homes and families.

Strangely though, nobody really wanted to leave. It was as if they had found paradise and they knew that the world they had left would soon call for them to return. A sort of joyous panic rose up as the patrons of the bed and breakfast waited for the snow crews and the massive army of workers to clear the roads and haul away the remnants of stripped trees.

That panic met its fulfillment exactly two weeks after the storm that had birthed it. The ninety people in the bed and breakfast who had weathered the difficulties before them together were finally able to walk back to their homes. Starting as one massive army and soon splitting off, like roots that begin a heap and end reaching out to soil and rock unknown, these ninety people carried themselves out of the bed and breakfast.

Back at that same bed and breakfast, the feelings of rapture were lost on Armin and Kanrik who took one look at the kitchen, dining hall, and main area and only saw hours of sweaty, intense labor. But for Hannah and Ferny, they saw something else. They saw memories, fulfillment, togetherness…and a handsome pile of neopoints from those customers coming back voluntarily to enjoy paradise once again…if only for a short while.


	8. The New Recruits

The B and B

The New Recruits

_Written By Joshua King_

They could scarcely go anywhere anymore without getting swamped by the media. Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast was receiving the kind of paparazzi usually reserved for actresses or singers…or royalty. Princess Fernypoo, in all of this, was for the first time completely speechless. Hannah, on the other hand, was a reporter's dream.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, how did it feel for you and Ferny to be able to help so many down and out people during the snowstorm?" a young Buzz asked as she held the microphone firmly.

"It was great, being there for our neighbors. I know that there were many others who we couldn't house due to health codes, but we were glad to be of service to those we could help."

"With the promotional tour over, and now all of this good publicity coming your way, are there any new plans for the bed and breakfast?"

"I'd say more employees and a larger building for starters." Hannah replied with a deadpan look as the reporter shook her head and turned to the camera.

"You heard it here first. Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast is hot and we can't wait to see what gets cooking next. For NBS, this is June Sanchez signing off from Meridell.

Hannah slowly walked back into the restaurant and quickly recognized Ana and Mariko's familiar faces in the lobby.

"How's it going, you two? You comin' to spend the night or are you looking for our two chore boys?" Hannah smirked as they shook their heads.

"We're coming to be the answer to your question. I'm out of school during the summer and Mariko is going to be in college at Meridell University soon. And we need a job. Think we could wait tables and wash dishes?"

Hannah threw back her hair and laughed. "It's a chance for me to be free of those duties myself for a while! Consider yourself hired! You can start tonight if you want. As you can see, our dress code is pretty simple: if it's clean and conservative, it's kosher. We don't want to have to toss guys out of here right and left for gawking at you two."

"I'm cool with that, especially because it would be Armin and Kanrik doing the tossing!" Ana shot back as Mariko nodded in consent.

After showing them around and getting yelled at by Ferny for invading her world of digits and dollar signs, Hannah checked her emails. One in particular caught her eye: an invitation to a celebration party from John Spiritwarrior. He had been accepted into the Sakhmet Police Academy. She quickly wrote down the time and date of the event on the calendar above her desk. With that done, Hannah scooted off to the kitchen to prepare the meal for her customers. Yet, while she was chopping up carrots and boiling lettuce, she was still thinking of John. He'll make a good detective, she thought.

**Later that night…**

"So do Kanrik and Armin live here in the bed and breakfast?" Ana asked as she finished wiping down the tables in the lobby.

"No but they might as well my dear. It's almost as if you do if you're working here full-time, but that's something you and Mariko won't have to worry about. Thinking of you two, I must tell you how proud I am about you doing so well in school." Ferny said warmly as she suddenly got interrupted.

"The change subject Queen of Neopia strikes again!"

"Shush, Hannah. I'm trying to have a serious discussion with them about their education. I remember my years in high school and college: they were the most chaotic and important in my life."

As she said those words, Ferny couldn't help but relive those days in her mind. Her chaos had come from being the most scorned and insulted freshman in her high school. All people could see, despite her best efforts, was the fourteen year old spoilt brat they'd come to read about in newspapers and tabloids.

It wasn't until she started tutoring her fellow classmates during her sophomore year that she gained a certain level of respect and admiration. Unfortunately, that did little to stem the insults being hurled her way by the more popular groups in the student body.

The tide turned in one day, due to one act of defiance, in her junior year. A new rule affecting students involved in any sports programs took effect. From that point forward, they would have to maintain a B average to remain in the programs. This created a small panic and the cheerleaders especially were desperate to raise their grades before the next semester.

The cheerleaders soon confronted Ferny in a corner of the main hall nicknamed 'the secret place' because what was said there, in theory, was to stay there. They offered her a proposition: help them with their grades and they would stop insulting her. What they didn't know was that Ferny had anticipated how they would react within days of reading about the new rule…and she was fully prepared to respond to their request.

"So let me try to understand this. I work my intellectual magic and tutor you to better grades and I get what?" Ferny said with contempt as the cheerleaders tried their best to act innocent.

"We'll get off your back. We'll quit insulting you and we'll treat you with some respect. Who knows, maybe you'll actually get a date for Homecoming if you do well enough." the cheerleaders said with a giggle among themselves.

"So let me get this straight. I'm going to help you and in return I get to have a false sense of popularity on top of enslavement to you for my feelings of self-worth. Thank you, ladies, but no thank you. I will continue to wear the dress of humiliation and the makeup of shame proudly rather than soil myself with you." Ferny shot back as the cheerleaders stood aghast.

"Oh, by the way ladies, the secret place we're talking in is no longer secret. Have a nice day." Ferny giggled as she pointed at the intercom above them.

With this master stroke, Ferny had instantly gathered the awe and admiration of every underappreciated, independent, and intellectual student in the high school. This wave of popularity carried over into college when she was elected chair of her sorority. Ferny was just starting to remember those happy days in her life when she felt a sudden tap on her shoulder.

"Ferny…Neopia to Ferny, come in Ferny!" Ana said annoyingly as Ferny focused again on her.

"Sorry about that, I was thinking of my glory days at school."

"Must've been really good ones. You've been daydreaming for over five minutes now. Anyway, I've got to get back to work." Ana replied as she collected several dirty dishes and took them to the back.

It was about eleven p.m. before everyone finally retired for the night. The day's events were so tiring that everyone slept like logs…everyone except Kanrik. For in the midst of his slumber he was awakened by fleeting thoughts of things to come. Dark, perilous, a figure he vaguely remembered from his past. Mariko was there too, running to him as if he had been missing or on a trip and had just returned. But suddenly, a flash of light and she was being dragged away by the figure he could only vaguely remember. He was running after him and his love when he awoke, in a sweat, laying beneath his stuffy blanket at the bed and breakfast. He didn't know what his nightmare meant, but he knew its contents would be revealed very soon…


	9. The Ties That Bind Part One

The B and B

The Ties that Bind

Part One of Two

_Written By Joshua King_

_An emerald field, garnished with the smells and sounds and sights of spring's rebirth. Flowers, lying in rows like a palette of nature's hues. _

_Her heart beginning to flutter to the rhythm of a butterfly's wings. _

_Her rebirth and emergence in expectation of the coming of her lover to complete her._

_But stop, her heart does, the sight of dark clouds ceasing her very breath. _

_Like savage claws, wanting to trap her in a prison of despair. _

_Taking her only way out, she runs towards fields untouched by the grasp of death._

_Hope arises, her lover standing in the distance, now spying her but not the danger which creeps ever closer. _

_He sees too late and begins to spring forward, sprinting after his love now entwined to the dark figure. _

_She struggles her warden so familiar yet so alien and herself so seemingly helpless_…

"NO!" Mariko both screamed and shuddered as she awoke from her nightmare. Within seconds, she was joined by Ana who saw her whitened face dripping with sweat and gasped.

"What's wrong? I can call a doctor…" Ana asked as Mariko shooed the thought away.

Reaching into her purse, which was laying on the floor next to the bed, she grabbed her cellphone and called the one person who could bring her some relief…

**At the bed and breakfast…**

Kanrik tried his best to fulfill his duties, but he couldn't shake the nightmare he had experienced last night. It was as if his body was going at one gear lower than his mind. He thought of calling Mariko, but he knew that she had a lot to do and would need to get as much sleep as possible to do it.

As he was sweeping the notion away, he suddenly heard the familiar sound of _Dreamweaver_ coming from his pocket. Again, it seemed, he and Mariko were on the same page at the same time.

"Babe, what's going on? I thought you were going to sleep in late?" Kanrik said confusingly as Mariko remained silent on the other end. It was then that Kanrik realized why she had called.

"It's also been in your sleep, the nightmare with the dark figure, hasn't it?" Kanrik asked as Mariko began to sob.

"I saw him, Kanrik. I saw my brother trying to rip us apart, violently, without a thought. I'm scared, Kanrik, scared of what he could do to us."

"That explains why he seemed familiar in my version of the nightmare. Look, I'm as scared as you are. He knows my past and he could reveal it to the public with ease. I would never be able to show my face anywhere; all of my acts of redemption up in smoke because of him. I don't even think Hannah and Ferny would be able to keep me employed at the bed and breakfast without paying a price for it."

"I don't even want to imagine what would happen should he decide to use violence in a literal sense. He has enough underlings in the Thieves Guild to spare and they could find you anywhere, could find me anywhere." Mariko responded, trembling as Kanrik shook his head.

"I'd like to comfort you, if I can. There's still hope, glimmers to be sure, but if mine and yours could come together, perhaps…" Kanrik spoke sweetly as Mariko gleaned an idea from his words.

"Can you make it to the_ CX_, tonight, just the two of us together? Mariko interrupted.

"I believe so. I've got to get back to work now, but I'll be there at seven. We can talk about this and try to work out a plan that will not only save both of us, but perhaps even change Kazuya's mind about our relationship." Kanrik sighed as he quickly snapped his cellphone shut.

"Hey, Earth to Kanrik! We've got floors and walls that are not cleaning themselves!" Armin yelled rudely as he received a cold stare from Kanrik in return.

The rest of the day went relatively smooth and quiet, but Kanrik's mind and heart were anything but. As much as Hannah and Ferny saw his anguish, and wanted deeply to help, they knew that his problems were something only he and Mariko could solve.

The walk to Kanrik's destination on the Meridell University campus was as quiet as could be expected on a chilly, starless night. The moon's dim radiance shown down and the more he looked at it, the more peaceful and free he felt. For the first time in days, he experienced a rising confidence that everything would work out and that he and Mariko could make it through anything.

As Kanrik entered the_ CX_, he was quick to look around and soon felt a sense of awe at what he observed. The café was void of customers, but it still felt filled due to the expansive decorations garnishing its walls.

On each side of the dining room hung the flags of the various regions of Neopia, seven on each side and two hanging in the rear. Candles on each table spoke of the quiet elegance and romantic feel one could expect as he or she enjoyed its splendor.

As he turned around, however, he saw something that wasn't so splendid. Kazuya was holding his sister in front of him and he did not look pleasant. His back was to the front door of the café, making the anticipated confrontation unavoidable.

"It's been a long time, Kanrik. Five years since you ran from our little club; thought you could just begin a little fling with my little sister, eh?"

"You don't know the truth about my resignation from the Thieves Guild and what you call a fling is something much more. Mariko and I are soulmates, bound together I hope for life, whether you want to believe it or not." Kanrik corrected his adversary as he suddenly shoved Kazuya, which freed Mariko from his grasp. The shock of being so quickly disarmed gave Mariko enough time to run to Kanrik's side and Kazuya suddenly looked a lot less dangerous.

Kanrik quickly checked to see that Mariko was unharmed before addressing the outrageous behavior by her now infuriated brother.

"Can't you see that you are bringing anguish and pain to your own flesh and blood? If I didn't wish to spare her more tears, I'd knock some sense into you with my two fists. But then I would return to the very nature that you embody."

Unfortunately for Kanrik, his emotional statements only brought forth a stream of evil laughter from his foe.

"Such violent speech and actions by one who has become so sophisticated? Luckily for me, my means of dealing with you two is of the same two natures. Take her for now, but mark my words carefully. If you do not cease your romantic involvement with her, I will do everything to you that you so secretly dread. You will lose your new found job, respect, and soulmate in one swift, unforgiving stroke!" Kazuya threatened as he ran from the café and flew away.

After leaving the café themselves, Kanrik and Mariko walked to the bed and breakfast. They were confronted by Hannah and Ferny who gave them permission to take time off to resolve their difficulties with Kazuya and two of the open rooms to sleep in.

One less than restful night later, Kanrik and Mariko emerged from their respective rooms in the bed and breakfast and returned to a now bustling _CX_.

Finding a table near the back, they quickly ordered breakfast. While they waited for their hot meals to be delivered, the two of them began to think about their next move.

"I still can't believe that he found out about us meeting here last night. I know he has his subordinates follow you everywhere, but…" Kanrik started to say as Mariko held his hand tenderly.

"We'll find a way out of this, a way for us to remain one. I know I was pessimistic before, but I also know that if we could just convince him that his anger is misplaced, he'd quit being so stubborn."

"If only I knew why he's so protective of you and why he has such hatred for me." Kanrik said with a pent-up sigh as a waitress delivered their food.

"He blames himself for the accident that caused by blindness. I guess he feels like he has to shelter me from anyone who doesn't meet his expectations, even if he doesn't follow them himself. I'm sure his anger at you is not personal, as much as it may seem that way." Mariko explained while twirling her scrambled eggs with a fork.

"So in trying to keep you 'safe', he's become this overzealous warden of your life."

"That is exactly it. I feel caged, locked in, like I'm trapped in a maze with no exits. It's a lot like what you must of felt when you wanted to leave the Thieves Guild and couldn't." Mariko said as Kanrik literally jumped in his chair.

Kanrik quickly called a waitress over and had her bring him paper, a pen, and an envelope. He started writing a letter, not frantically, but quickly enough that Mariko became interested in it. When she saw who it was addressed to, she understood what Kanrik was planning and held his hand gently.

"Are you sure that you'll be able to convince him to get involved with just this letter?"

"I don't know, but I do know that this is our only exit at this time." Kanrik answered with a hurried breath as he sealed the envelope and handed it to the waitress to place in the mailbox outside. Now all they could do was wait…and hope.


	10. The Ties That Bind Part Two

The B and B

The Ties that Bind Part Two

_Written By Joshua King_

"The meaning of life is change. Regardless of how sudden, how quietly, how small, or how often, change lets you know that life is never boring and it is always has purpose."

Golem Darkhand

It was six a.m. in the Thieves Guild and the smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the caves and the buildings near them. It meant the beginning of another beautiful day.

For one person, however, it meant that it was time for him to become scarce. If he'd done his job correctly, no one would notice that a large file was missing from the shelves of the archives or that an entire folder of files was missing from the computer within the archive.

Unfortunately for this person, his activities had been discovered in advance, predicted by the message within a letter on Golem Darkhand's desk. The mood of the supreme leader of the Thieves Guild was outrage at best.

This person, caught red-handed, soon found himself sitting before Golem with his ill-gotten gains taken away and nothing but his now pulsating fears to keep him company.

"I'm going to cut to the quick, Kazuya. I don't care about your concerns for your sister, I don't give a hoot about your right to protect her, and I definitely don't want to hear your continuous rants about Kanrik Crestmere. You tried to steal documents that weren't yours to take and had I not been forewarned of your intentions, you could've very well destroyed this guild!" Golem yelled as he pounded his fist on his heavy oak desk.

"How could my exposure of Kanrik's past…" Kazuya started to say as Golem walked closer to him and glared into his eyes.

"Do you have any idea why we do not have to hide in the shadows anymore? The Bringer War, and our heroic role in it, has given us a chance. It is a chance to keep our identity while being shielded from the public eye. This is why we haven't had problems with law enforcement or the Neopian Revenue Service in years!" Golem responded as the lump in Kazuya's throat got tighter.

"But all it will take for that to fall apart like a house of cards is for you to go flashing Kanrik's skeletons around to the citizens of Neopia, who will then be reminded of why they're supposed to hate our guts!"

"So my sister is sacrificed to that monster to protect our great and glorious guild?" Kazuya yelled with contempt as Golem grabbed him by the shirt.

"Kanrik is no monster, he is a changed man. I envy him. He doesn't have to feel dirty with the stench of ruined lives anymore. He's not trapped here by an inescapable fate like I am. He's free, as free as they come."

"That is only because he fled from this place like a rotten coward!"

"No, Kazuya Oshii, Kanrik Crestmere left this guild with my permission. He was released because I owed him a life debt, which I have paid in full."

At this statement, Kazuya fell back in his chair. He couldn't believe that Kanrik had left on good terms. It was unheard of: once you joined the Guild, you joined for life.

"Because of this, I'm giving you a simple order: you will keep silent about Kanrik's past for the good of this guild and because it would be dishonorable for his clean slate to be re-sullied." Golem Darkhand said firmly as Kazuya shook his head.

"In that case, I'll get some of my goons to rough him up and then I will finish him personally."

As Kazuya started to walk away, grinning evilly as he thought about what he would do to Kanrik, Golem sighed heavily as he prepared to rock Kazuya's world once more.

"So this is how you'll pay your life debt, and Mariko's, and seven other guild members? You were unconscious at the time, Mariko was still suffering from having her eyes rendered inoperable, and the rest of us were trapped in that ice cave with an army of the Bringer's soldiers only minutes away." Golem began as Kazuya turned around, completely shocked to silence at what he was hearing.

"It was Kanrik who discovered a tunnel which, though a dead end, held three things which saved us that day. A small hole on the top of the dead end told us that it would lead outside. A large pocket in the wall to the left filled with crates of TNT told us that we could blast our way out. The legions of Bori and heroes on the other side told us that we'd be safe from the Bringer's armies which found themselves completely defeated by the day's end."

Kazuya still had nothing to say as he slowly walked out of Golem's office. He walked outside and began to journey towards Meridell. It seemed that he owed Kanrik two life debts…and he always fulfilled his obligations.

**Meanwhile, at **_**Hannah and Ferny's Bed and Breakfast…**_

Kanrik and Mariko were glad when they could work together at the same time, even if the task was simply pulling weeds from the flower boxes around the bed and breakfast. The sun was out in all of its strength and a light breeze caressed their faces as they exerted themselves.

Suddenly they both heard the faint sound of Sticks N' Stones _"Welcome to the Jungle"_. Kanrik popped open his cell phone and nodded to Mariko.

"He's coming here and he knows…hmm, this is good news. Yeah, we'll sit tight and wait…thanks again, G." Kanrik answered as he clicked his phone shut.

"So my brother's heading this way. I hope he's coming to apologize for his outrageous behavior."

"I hope he does more than that, love. You know, we were like brothers back in the Thieves Guild. A lot of memories, most I'd like to forget, at least one that was forgotten without my knowledge."

"The time in the ice caves, I bet. That's where I lost my sight, but I don't remember how it happened or how I got out of there." Mariko added.

"I don't either, but if you were there then Kazuya must have been with you. It certainly explains why I felt a connection between myself and you when we first met…or should I say reunited?" Kanrik pondered as they pulled the last weed from the flower box before them.

"Well, that does it. Let's get these weeds thrown away. I'm feeling quite trashed myself and only a shower will cure it." Mariko chuckled as she and Kanrik threw the bag of weeds away and went inside.

It was almost nine o' clock at night when Kazuya Oshii walked into the bed and breakfast and confronted Kanrik and his sister. Despite the assuring phone call from Golem Darkhand that afternoon, the hearts of Kanrik and Mariko were still a bit fearful. But the look of sorrow in Kazuya's eyes helped to cancel out their worries.

"I learned about what you did for me, Mariko, Golem, and the other members of our guild. Because of the amnesia that gripped us afterward, all I could remember from that time in the caves was about how Mariko became blind. When that grunt was tossed into the pool of acid and the caustic substance splashed into my sister's unprotected eyes, when you tossed him, my world crashed. For years I blamed you for what was a simple accident not realizing that you saved both my life and hers. I owe you a well overdue apology and two life debts." Kazuya said as he hugged Kanrik and shed a tear.

Kanrik returned the embrace as Mariko smiled and kissed her brother on the cheek. She also hugged him while Kanrik expressed his deepest feelings.

"You were once a brother to me and you still are. I have nothing to forgive anymore. Just allow Mariko and me our happiness as a couple and soon to be husband and wife, brother-in-law." Kanrik said as he walked over to one of the tables. Kazuya and Mariko were in shock as they walked over to the center table themselves.

Taped underneath it was a small black box which held a 6- carat diamond ring: the very emblem of eternal bliss. Placing the ring on Mariko's finger, he got down to one knee and proposed. Mariko took one look at Kazuya as he nodded his assent. As Mariko screamed yes to Kanrik's request, he stood up and kissed her deeply. Kazuya could only watch with a response that none of them had expected only a few days ago…a smile.


End file.
